Pressure sensitive adhesive coated plastic film materials have, in the past, been used for attaching a variety of medical devices, including ostomy appliances and intravenous tubes, to the human body. More recently, such films have been used as a component in transdermal delivery systems which are placed in direct in contact with the skin of a patient while the drug or medicament carried by the device slowly passes through the skin and into the blood stream of the patient. One such device comprises a matrix infused with nitroglycerin in an inert vehicle consisting of water and glycerin for use in treating patients suffering from angina pectoris.
Film materials heretofore used for attaching and maintaining medical devices on human skin comprise polyethylene sheet material provided with an organic solvent coated layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive. Exemplary of one such film is a 3 mil polyethylene film coated with an organic solvent soluble acrylic adhesive. Apart from the unfavorable cost and environmental factors associated with the use of organic solvent coated pressure sensitive adhesives, their exists the potential for retention of a portion of the organic solvent in the final product. This residual solvent not only can result in irritation to the skin, but, also, can contaminate, and even react with, the drug or medicament carried by a medical device such as a transdermal bandage.